Rights of Way and Open Access

Finding your way

With over 1,400 miles of public rights of way, spread across 554 square miles of the National Park, it's important to know where you can and can't go in the countryside.

Most of our walking routes follow established Rights of Way (ie, paths or tracks that the public has a right to use) while others are across Open Access land (ie, where you have a right to walk freely, without having to follow a defined path or track).

Rights of Way in the National Park are occasionally diverted or modified, and official maps (like Ordnance Survey maps) are not always immediately updated.

Byway (red) – all traffic (though some only suitable for off-road vehicles, and motor vehicles should give way)

In addition, there are concessionary paths (white) – not a public right of way, but where the landowner invites you to use the path (and has the right to remove that concession)

National Trails including the Cleveland Way National Trail are marked with the familiar 'acorn' symbol, which is often displayed with the relevant colour-coded Right of Way sign.

If you find a problem on any public right of way in the North York Moors National Park, please let us know by using this form.

Open Access

You can walk on Open Access land – on mountain, moor, heath, downland and registered common land – without having to stick to public rights of way over the land. In the North York Moors it means that you are free to explore our moorland and common land as you wish, using paths and tracks which are not public rights of way. If you wish you may also walk over the land without following a defined path. Certain restrictions apply (see below).

In addition to moorland access land, the Forestry Commission has dedicated much of its land as Open Access land for walkers, and it also allows cyclists and horseriders to use the main tracks over the access land.

Open Access land is shown on Ordnance Survey Explorer maps published since 2005 (bounded by an orange border), and you can also look out for the symbol shown above, which you'll find on some areas of Open Access land.

Please remember:

Open access is for recreation on foot; you can't cycle or ride a horse except on a bridleway, and you can't drive a vehicle or motorbike on it, other than on vehicular rights of way

Dogs are not allowed on most grouse moors in the North York Moors, except on rights of way where they should be kept on a short lead or to heel so they cannot leave the line of the path

Where dogs are allowed on open access land, by law they must be on a short lead between 1 March and 31 July (the bird nesting season) and on a short lead at any time near livestock

Access land may sometimes temporarily closed for land management or other reasons - look out for signs. Rights of way remain open even if the surrounding access land is closed. Forestry Commission access land is sometimes closed for tree felling or motor rallies.

You can find out more, and check if there are any current Open Access restrictions in place, on the Natural England website.